Everton 0-0 Chelsea: Title-chasing Blues miss the chance to go top of the table after being held to goalless draw as Nicolas Jackson and Malo Gusto squander big chances

To use Sean Dyche’s own words from his pre-match press conference in the aftermath of Everton’s takeover by American billionaires The Friedkin Group, he will be judged by the number of wins he picks up between now and the end of the season.

With his contract expiring after this campaign, Dyche knows he is on an unofficial trial period with the new chiefs – who have given him their verbal backing – and he understands that winning matches is the currency of Premier League football.

But in recording back-to-back hard-earned draws against two title challengers, Dyche is proving his worth without those wins. This goalless draw with Chelsea was another masterclass in getting under the skin and ruffling feathers of the big boys.

Enzo Maresca’s side, who had scored 26 goals in the eight games before this, were blunted and left bereft of ideas in an attacking sense. Last week it was fellow could-be champions Arsenal who had 77 per cent possession but could not break through the stubborn steel of Everton.

Chelsea were below par – we will come on to them shortly – but this result was testament to the regimented qualities of a typical Dyche display. If anything, he would have been disappointed to not take all three points after Jack Harrison and Iliman Ndiaye missed big second-half chances.

It is now five clean sheets in the last six games for Everton. The aim now has to be to turn draws into victories, with just one win and four goals scored in that run, but these are solid foundations to build on ahead of a Boxing Day trip to Manchester City.

Chelsea were held to a goalless draw at Everton and missed the chance to go top of the table

Malo Gusto was denied by Jordan Pickford in the first half as the Blues threatened

Cole Palmer was kept quiet and struggled to carve out chances at Goodison Park 

‘I am absolutely happy,’ said Maresca after the game, perhaps illustrating the point. ‘I am more happy today than the Brentford game (2-1 win). I was worried about this game – they are defensively top, top five in Europe for clean sheets. It was not easy.’

Maresca is a wise man and he was right. Not just with that post-match soundbite but with his constant insistence in recent months that Chelsea are not title challengers. On the evidence of this match, that theory is bang on.

Cole Palmer and Co barely created any openings and their best chance came from a set-piece helped on by the severe wind on Merseyside. There was no sign of a late onslaught and Maresca’s men managed just one shot on target in the second half despite dominating the ball.

With the scores level heading into the final exchanges, this was the chance for Chelsea to prove their title credentials. One thing above all that separates contenders from pretenders is the ability to grind out results when performances have been lacking. They failed on that count here.

Due to this week’s news, this was a battle between two clubs owned by American owners – though given the Stateside stronghold on this league, that is not a rarity. It was also Everton’s first home game since December 4 when they thrashed Wolves 4-0.

Since then, they saw the Merseyside Derby postponed due to Storm Darragh – and the forecast was not too much better ahead of this clash. Fans arrived at Goodison Park soaked and one was spotted being knocked over by a falling metal fence on Stanley Park.

Luckily the gentleman was OK, got back to his feet and continued to walk with a spring in his step given this was the first game of the new era at the club. The torrential downpour made it a true ‘welcome to Merseyside’ for new owners The Friedkin Group.

They were represented in the directors’ box by new executive chairman Marc Watts and members of TFG’s UK-based team. And their presence led to a new sense of optimism for Evertonians after being dragged through the mud in the years of Farhad Moshiri’s ownership.

Jack Harrison squandered a golden opening with his low effort kept out by Robert Sanchez

Sanchez got down low to block with his body and prevent the visitors from falling behind

Tosin Adarabioyo made a crucial late block to stop Iliman Ndiaye’s goalbound effort

Tensions flared in the second half before the game petered out into a stalemate

Enzo Maresca’s side would have gone top with a win, but Liverpool are in action on Saturday

Chelsea took a while to settle but created three chances in five minutes late in the first half, all for Nicolas Jackson. First, with Chelsea’s first real sight of goal, Palmer teed him up only for Jordan Pickford to deny the Senegal striker from point-blank range.

In fairness, he was under strong pressure from stand-in captain James Tarkowski, who did his best to fluster Jackson before he took the shot. With his next effort, Pickford again came out on top despite misjudging a through ball and nearly getting caught in no man’s land.

Pickford was helpless for the third chance, though, as an Enzo Fernandez corner evaded everyone and Jackson, unmarked at the back post, could not hit the target from inside the six-yard box.

But Everton had the better of the chances after the break after Ndiaye crossed for Harrison who, from close range, could only shoot straight at Robert Sanchez. Minutes later the Chelsea No 1 parried a Jesper Lindstrom cross and then Tosin Adarabioyo bravely blocked Ndiaye’s rebound.

Ultimately, either team could have won it but both – according to their bosses – were satisfied with a point. Dyche said: ‘It was a deserved point and a fair result actually. Both teams had good half-chances and both teams were going at it.

‘I never lack pride in what we do. There’s a lot of noise outside. We have stayed resolute to the cause. My players have given everything to the cause today. As I said the other day, I am not naive. I need to win games.’